Georgia Rapkin of Fox Point (left) works out with her certified personal trainer Alex Schroeder at Form & Fitness in Mequon. Rapkin has found working out at the center beneficial to her business.

Most people hit the gym to get in shape. At Form & Fitness in Mequon, small-business owners are not only slimming their waistlines, but they're also helping each other fatten their bottom lines.

Form & Fitness is a personal training studio at 1214 W. Mequon Road in Mequon that has become the gathering place for CEOs and entrepreneurs who have formed friendships and talk business during their workouts.

The gym might be the last place you'd think of people networking and building business relationships. But the smaller size and friendly atmosphere at Form & Fitness makes it conducive to networking.

"The way we set this studio up, it's one big open room, so everyone has to intermingle," says owner Ben Quist, who also owns and operates the much larger Form & Fitness Health Club in Grafton. "In the end, 250 to 300 people all know each other. It's an interesting effect."

Georgia Rapkin, a Mequon acupuncturist, has been working out at Form & Fitness for four years. The chance to connect with other small-business owners has been a big attraction.

Besides, Rapkin says, she's more committed to working out regularly because of the camaraderie at the gym.

"Of all the things I've had to give up because of the economy, this is one thing I'll never give up," Rapkin said. "It's valuable to me socially, and it's valuable to my business."

Because Rapkin's acupuncture practice coincides with health and wellness, clients of Form & Fitness often seek her services or refer business her way. The gym also benefits because Rapkin refers some of her patients there.

With so much networking being done these days on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, networking in a venue like the gym provides solo practitioners like Rapkin with the opportunity for personal interaction.

"Twitter is the new high-tech tool. You can't see anybody on Twitter," Rapkin said on a recent morning at the personal training studio. "You need that human connection to inspire you toward new ideas or new ways to market your business."

It's also a chance to network without having to dress up and trek down to a ritzy hotel or fancy restaurant.

For Gail Sideman, who prefers not to dress up to do business, there's value in networking at the local gym. Sideman owns Publiside, a Milwaukee publicity and marketing company that represents clients in sports and related activities, publishing and select entrepreneurs.

"People see you as you really are. This kind of strips you down. You're as grimy as you're going to get here," says Sideman, who joined Form & Fitness four years ago.

In an informal setting like the gym, people tend to be more comfortable discussing their problems. At Form & Fitness, small-business owners swap war stories and commiserate over their struggles.

An added bonus is that several of the studio's personal trainers are also small-business owners who are able to talk business and exchange ideas with clients. One trainer, Peter Starke, owns a local project management firm, Starke & Associates.

"In this economic environment, I can just immediately relate to the business owners that come in. I hear both sides from people who are still hopeful, but they're frustrated," said Starke, who estimates that more than half of Form & Fitness clients are self-employed entrepreneurs. "Sometimes you just look at each other and say, 'yeah, I know you got beat at the bank.' "

For the encouragement as much as the business leads, it's important that small-business owners and entrepreneurs work together. Venues like Form & Fitness can provide both.

Tannette Johnson-Elie writes about how small businesses and start-ups are using networking and business associations to tap the expertise needed to grow. She can be reached at (414) 223-5172 or by e-mail at telie@journalsentinel.com.